Grooming Guide: Laying The Foundation + Father’s Day Draw

 

 

Whenever I go to  Mercedes Benz Fashion Week my roommates for the week always comment on the number of bottles next to my sink. It usually goes like this; “You have more stuff than I do!” When my wife and I get ready for an evening out I spend more time grooming than she does and it isn’t even close. In short, I’m serious about my grooming. The reason is it lays the foundation for my fragrance choice increasing the longevity for even the least tenacious fragrances…….and we all know I’m serious about my fragrance. I’m always looking for ways to improve my routine and I thought I’d share some of my more recent discoveries about the products I use before I choose my fragrance. Just in time for Father’s Day.

Shower

 

 

Up until recently I’ve been a shower gel guy, using a loofah to do a little exfoliation while I wash. What has changed my routine has been two soaps based on fragrances I like. Atelier Cologne has matching soap to their six releases and my favorite in the shower is Bois Blond. Alvarez Gomez’s soap brings the fresh cologne smell of the Colonia into solid form. I’ve been rotating these two since the beginning of the year.

I recently received samples of  from Philip  B, ( Matthew McConaughey is a fan ) of their  notable  line:  Nordic Wood Hair and Body Shampoo smells like an intense resinous pine forest and it is a very nice wake-up call in the morning. Philip B also makes a refreshing Peppermint and Avocado Shampoo; it makes an interesting yin to Nordic Wood’s yang. In preparation for my shave I finish with MiN New York’s Proenzyme Trio Face Scrub; it is lightly exfoliating and I’ve used it daily with no ill effect. Now I’m ready to move onto the shaving portion of my program.

Shaving and Moisturizing

 

 

I use an old safety razor just like the one my dad used when I was a kid. I have found that shaving with one blade makes my skin feel much better and look much better. Even if you use the latest multi-blade cartridge I think these products will work for you, too. One of my favorite shaving crèmes is Castle Forbes Sandalwood and Cedarwood creamy and clean at each stroke on my face. I love the mix of fragrance and smoothness of shave. Because I use the old style double-edged razor I need a seriously good after shave and I have one in MiN New York Solution 2. Solution 2 is a mix of organic peppermint and liquid aspirin which allows it to medicate, reducing inflammation, and revitalize with the peppermint.

Finally I finish my facial routine with Immunocologie VenoMax face crème. As I’ve crossed the 50-year mark I find I need a face crème which firms my skin as well as moisturizes and VenoMax does both wonderfully. The best side effect of using a good firming face crème is it leads to a closer shave, for me, which allows a nice synergy in my morning routine.

Fragrance

 

 

I can’t finish a guide without a couple of suggestions to make Dad smell good. Besides the liquid form of the soaps from Atelier Cologne and Alvarez Gomez; I’ve recently become reacquainted with Nobile 1942 over the last few months and the one I keep returning to is Patchouli Nobile. Patchouli Nobile has an unusual lightness for a patchouli centric fragrance and it has been very nice to wear on these first hot harbingers of the dog days.

I hope you’ve found something in my grooming routine which might be just the ticket for your father.

Thanks to many of the companies above we have some of these suggestions as draw prizes.

 Philip B has offered a Workout Windup Gift Set  which contains both plus three other post  power lifting products.

 

MiN New York has offered bottles of Proenzyme Trio Face Scrub, Solution 2 After Shave, and Nobile 1942 Patchouli Nobile . One winner for each of these.

 

 

Finally, Immunocologie is offering our readers VenoMax face crème.

 

 

To be eligible to win one of these leave a comment about your favorite moment shared with your Dad. The draw will close on Father’s Day June 19, 2011.

 So that is five prizes, random draw but  you can specify if you would like.

 

–Mark Behnke, Managing Editor

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15 comments

  • Alica says:

    Since I live in other countrty than my parents, I like the time when they visit me every year and spend time with my father. I would like the Immunollogie cream, thx!

  • Sergey says:

    well, Mark, thanks for your routine sharing 🙂 In Russia we have rather military-oriented Day of Fatherland Guards (former Red Army Day) 23rd of February.
    That`s the day of boys & men gloryfication 🙂

    As for the soft spot moment with my Dad – I should admit that it was the moment when he gave me a razor and blades pack, when I was packing my bag for my 2-year military service in 1985. Then it was so usual and useful, just common domestic gesture. Now I feel it other way – a bit sentimental.
    Also it was not Gillette – something Soviet old-fashioned…

  • sonia garcia says:

    I remember when I was little my dad used to take me and my brothers to the small town where he was from and go to the farmers market, we are talking about central america, so when i said farmers market is a real one, so I remember the most colorful place ever! All the people from even smaller towns and villages were there offering all their products, livestock and harvests. Those were the good old days…
    I’d love to win the Patchouli Nobile.

  • Cynthia says:

    My Dad, who is gone now, was a marine in WWII. This was kind of a forbidden subject when we were growing up. We knew he had some pretty traumatic memories of fighting in the Pacific. But there came a time when my husband was posted to Manilla in the Philippines. I jogged everyday in the American Cemetery there, which is at the same time beautiful and somber. You couldn’t fail to be touched by the sea of white tombstones of those lost in Pacific battles. This opened up a conversation between me and my Dad. It was later in his life, and he seemed to want to talk about it. The stories he shared with me brought us closer than ever, and I could imagine him as this young man from a tiny town, experiencing all these things. I think usually when people get older they do like to share experiences that shaped their life. All they need is for someone to listen.

  • samberg says:

    I was never close to my stoic father, and I’m still not. As commonly happens between generations and genders, we are very different politically, and this put light years more distance between us as we aged.

    Two years ago we were doing one of our bi-annual, five minute “you still alive? good to know” phone rituals, when after a decade of avoiding acknowledgement he said he read some of my articles. Quietly and with more emotion than I quite knew what to do with, he said “You’re a very, very good writer,” before quickly returning to the more neutral topic of how my garden was doing.

  • Felicia G says:

    I have an absentee dad. But my daughters have a wonderful very involved dad.
    Here is what my two toddler girls love to do most with their dad: play mini golf, make pancakes and play tag with the greyhounds.
    What I love most is the butterflies that I get in my tummy when I see them engaged in play. It makes me feel the way that I did when we first met. Funny how your love morphs that way.
    MiN products are wonderful winning one in his honor would be fantastic:) happiest fathers day to all!

  • d3m0lici0n says:

    My Dad is gone now from this crazy world, hoping that someday, somehow we’ll meet again. But before his departure and when he was here visiting me we used to listen to old records, that was my favorite moment, we used to listen to old records, tangos, boleros, great memories, I missed him greatly…

  • Bellatrix says:

    When I was young, we used to knit fishing net together. I can still feel scent of that room…

    Thanks for draw. Any product would be an award. 😉

  • cjblue says:

    When I was 2 1/2, my mom gave birth to triplets. It was a bit traumatic for me, but I have wonderful memories of a summer when they were probably in the midst of terrible twos (times 3) and my dad took me to the movies every weekend, just the two of us. I think we saw every disney movie that had been made up to then. Fantastic father/daughter time.

  • you smell!!! says:

    My Dad is no longer with me, he passed away seven years ago, I miss him a lot, especially on fathers day… Our favorite activity was watching soccer on weekends and always going against his teams, we had so much fun doing this! We always had a nice lunch and some beers! Great laughs and great memories, I hope you are doing fine Dad, wherever you are, I Love you and Happy Fathers Day!!!

  • Natalia says:

    my father passed away when i was a teen, and i always remember him young, energetic and full of life. he was a very bright man and his knowledge about the world was truly encyclopedic. he taught me to play chess, to be curious, to think. if i could bring him back, i’d take a long walk through the forest, like the one we used to do when i was very little, and ask him al those questions i wish i have asked…

    all the gifts sound wonderful, Patchouli fragrance being #1 on my list for the love of patchouli.

  • Ccc says:

    My father was a very good looking man and cared about his appearance a lot. Maybe too much.
    Reading your grooming guide I remembered my father used to have a long list of habits. It would take him more than one hour for getting ready. My mom was exactly the opposite. 🙂 I thought it was little bit “weird” but he was always the best looking father. I was always proud of him. I remember our walks in the park. He used to be so patient. I loved flowers, butterflies, bees. We had to stop, check and smell every little insect, every little flower. Time is passing by and my father is not the same anymore…

    Patchouli Nobile sounds lovely.

  • Warum says:

    My Dad was not a part of my life most of it. I’ve only seen him a couple of times until I turned 13, we started to communicate a little more then. One time I came over to his house soon after my birthday and he had a very nice bouquet of roses for me, very tall pink roses in early Spring. Pretty fancy, and I was very impressed.

    Neither my Dad or husband shave, interestingly, they are both wearing BIG beards, so I would like to win a Patchouli Nobile should I be in luck.

  • Isa says:

    I share so many beautiful moments with my father! It’ s difficult to pick just one, but I remember when I was a child and my parent and I made big sand castles on the beach. They were great! My father has always played a lot with my brother and I.

    I would like to win Patchouli Nobile. Thanks!

  • Michellle Hunt says:

    My favorite moment with my dad directly relates to my love of perfume. When I was a little girl my father (who is not at all interested in girl stuff) would take me into the cosmetics department of the local department store and swipe some blue eyeshadow from the cosmetics testers (before we knew better about germs) onto my eyelids, and I was in heaven! I was a girly-girl and loved all things makeup and perfume from an early age. Once during a trip through the cosmetics department he got me a tiny bottle of “real perfume” – probably a deluxe sample, but the fact that it was so tiny meant it was very, very precious.

    I would love to win the Patchouli noble for my husband, who is also an excellent father!